The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-02-02
THE COSSACKS.
Russias Hardy Subjects Who Have
Been Misunderstood.
Although Communistic They Are Repub-
lican-Irregular but Effective Scouts
of the Army-A Living Rampant
of the Frontier.

A few weeks sojourn with the Cos
sacks, eating. sleeping, marching and
plundering with them, gave ME an en-
tirely new idea of their character. l
had unconsciously formed my estima-
ton of them from the traditions re-
garding them common to this day all
over continental Europe. They are al
ways alluded to as the bugbears of the
human race, and their name, the SYM
Dol of all that is cruel, is used as
potent terror to keep runaway children
at home and to brighten them into ODE
dience. expected to find them, not
child-eaters, to be sure, as they have
been popularity reported in the nurser-
les, but at least barbarous, unwar-
rantably cruel, and distinctly unciviliz-
ed in tastes and habits. To my great
surprise, they developed on acquaint-
ance close similarity in various traits
of character to Western frontiersmen
This is not so remarkable fact as it
would at first appear, for parallel ex-
perience and kindred interests and oc-
equations are naturally accountable for
the same characteristics which dis
tinguish the pioneer of the great
West and the Cossack of the great
East. Unlike the common Russians,
they are independent in spirit, self-re-
liant, and full of resource. They know
little of the cringing servility that
brands the ordinary slave as an inferior
order of human beings. Their pride
of race and position is unbounded,
their faithfulness and loyalty almost
phenomenal. Accustomed to commune
istic government, they are thoroughly
republican in their notions, and know
how to obey as well as to command.
They are both prudent and brave
prudent because they are acquainted
with danger, brave because bravery is
part of their creed. ''The army may
sleep in safety when Cossacks are at
the outposts" is the common saying, for
they are believed to scent danger afar
off, and to be thus secure against sur
prises. They have the keen senses of
the Indian fighter, and touch of the
stoicism of the Indian himself. A
prominent trait of their character, and
one which seems unaccountable in con-
junction with their independence and
self-reliance, is their superstitious faith
IN, fhn rl,c Of oil of
ligious ceremonies and in all manner of
signs and omens. The most trivial act
is often prefaced by brief prayer or
appeal for Divine aid. and by the sign
of the cross. They never cat without
first standing erect, uncovering the
head and repeating few words of
grace. In their list of signs and omens
there are almost as many items as
were noted by the augurs in old Roman
times. In actual warfare they are the
eyes, the ears and the mouthpiece of
the army. They do the larger part of
the scouting service and of cavalry out
post duty, carry orders and dispatches
there is no signal corps in the Rus
sian army-act as orderlies to the Off
GERS, and perform all kinds of useful
services. Whenever man is needed
for any thing outside the common
camp duties, q Cossack is sure to be
summoned; wherever the army moves,
the why little horses with their jaunty
riders are seen scampering in all direc-
tons; wherever the advance guard OF
infantry penetrates, it is sure to find
that the Cossacks have already left
their mark, for they have the activity
and the enterprise of true pioneers, and
all the restlessness of savages.
While they form one of the largest
departments of the Russian army in
time of peace and in time of war, they
are entirely distinct from any other
branch of the service. Even among
the Russians the exact relations OF
the Cossaeks to the government are
not often clearly understood,
and they are often looked upon
more as allies than as subjects of the
Car. Like most existing institutions
of that country, they are regarded as
part of an order of things which knows
no change. 1t was only after patient
Interrogation of various persons in the
face of this characteristic indifference
to precise knowledge that 1 succeeded
in gaining a clear idea ofwhat and who
the Cossacks are. Without vouching
for the perfect accuracy of every detail
my information, | will give the
tory of the Cossacks as ] CLEANED ii